WATCH: "U.S. Secret Service Director Kimberly Cheatle testifies before the U.S. House Committee on Oversight and Accountability at the first congressional hearing about the shooting of former President Donald Trump" (7/22)

 

 

Update 7/23: Former Director Cheatle has resigned according to many news outlets. (Source: cnbc.com) I have 

"We urgently call for a comprehensive criminal investigation following the severe breach in security that culminated in one American's tragic loss of life, and nearly the loss of life of former President Donald J. Trump.

The assassin’s ability to position themselves on top of a building within 150 yards of the former President, in direct violation of security protocols, highlights a significant failure in the Secret Service's duties. This grave oversight falls squarely under the leadership of Kimberly A. Cheatle, who has since resigned. Her inability to ensure agents secured the premises represents a substantial lapse in the responsibilities entrusted to her and her agency.

The Secret Service is charged with the critical duty of protecting our nation's Presidents, a duty which was alarmingly neglected on that fateful day. Our demand for this investigation stems from a deep concern for national security, the principles of democracy, and the memory of Corey Comperatore.

The public deserves to know how such a breach occurred, who is responsible, and how to prevent it from happening again. Accountability is non-negotiable. To support this cause and advocate for safer, more effective leadership in the U.S. Secret Service, we implore you to join us by signing this petition. Also, if you originally signed this petition only for the resignation, and do not agree with criminal investigations, please update or remove your signature."

 

 

Responses from several prominent figures have commented on the Secret Service's apparent failings in the Trump assassination attempt and even Director Cheatle herself:

• Director Cheatle (7/22): "The assassination attempt of former President Trump on July 13th is the most significant operational failure of the Secret Service in decades..." and "The Secret Service's solum mission is to protect our leaders, on July 13th we failed. As a director of the US secret service I take full responsibility for any security lapse of our agency."
  
• Elon Musk (7/13): "Extreme incompetence or it was deliberate. Either way, the SS leadership must resign." X Post
• Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas: "...we are speaking of a failure. We are going to analyze, through an independent review, how that occurred, why it occurred, and make recommendations and findings to make sure it doesn’t happen again,” he said of which the Secret Service falls under his purview. Source
• House Oversight and Accountability Committee Chair: The chair has announced plans to subpoena Secret Service Director Kimberly Cheatle, indicating serious concerns about the agency's handling of the incident. Source
• Stan Kephart (Former Police Chief and Security Expert): Kephart described the incident as "an absolute and abysmal failure" on the part of the Secret Service. He emphasized that the agency is ultimately responsible for the candidate's safety, stating, "You don't get to blame other people. They are under your control". Source
• Rich Goldinger (Butler County District Attorney): Goldinger questioned the security arrangements, saying, "I don't know whose responsibility that building was, but someone should have been there." This comment highlights the confusion and potential gaps in security planning. Source
• Tom Knights (Butler Township Manager): Knights revealed that local authorities had informed the Secret Service about their inability to secure the building used by the shooter, stating, "It was indicated we did not have the manpower to take that task on." This raises questions about communication and resource allocation in the security planning. Source
• Congressional Leaders: While not individually named, the search results indicate that there is "mounting congressional fury" over the assassination attempt, suggesting that multiple members of Congress have expressed strong criticism of the Secret Service's performance. Source
• Secret Service Director Kimberly Cheatle: While not directly criticizing her own agency, Cheatle's statements have been scrutinized. She claimed that local law enforcement was responsible for securing the building used by the shooter, which contradicts information provided by local authorities. Source
• Recent remarks by Cheatle: "The Secret Service is responsible for a no-fail mission — this assassination attempt was a failure," Cheatle told members, a source on the call confirmed. "I acknowledge that there were mistakes and gaps. I have requested an internal review to determine what those gaps were," she continued. Officials are "not ruling out any possibilities, and we are exploring any and all avenues that determines if anyone else had knowledge or was involved in this attack," Cheatle told lawmakers. Source

Update 7/20: Today, 𝕏 officially labeled my account temporarily as a 'manipulator' and muted my reach. As a conservative, American, and veteran, this hits hard. For the past 10 months, I've been building the 'Johnny-verse' (covering politics and technology), only to face this silencing.

Director Cheatle Updates (Older):

Update 7/21: Rumor has it Cheatle might resign tomorrow, making this petition a bit symbolic at this point. But huge thanks to the 470+ people who used their voice to demand accountability! For the curious, nearly all signatures so far have come from the good ol' USA, with FL, TX, and CA leading the charge.

• On July 13, 2024, former President Donald Trump survived an assassination attempt during a rally in Butler, Pennsylvania. The shooter, identified as Thomas Matthew Crooks, was spotted on a rooftop by Secret Service snipers 20 minutes before the shots were fired. (Source: abcnews) Despite the early detection, Crooks managed to fire at Trump, who was subsequently unharmed but appeared at the Republican National Convention with a bandage on his ear.
• Shooter's Background and Motive: Investigators are still piecing together the motive behind the attack. Crooks had visited the rally site twice before the shooting and had pictures of Trump on his phone. His search history did not reveal any clear political motivations, and law enforcement is examining his actions leading up to the event. (Source: abcnews)
• Secret Service's Response and Criticism: The Secret Service has faced significant criticism for their handling of the situation. Secret Service Director Kimberly Cheatle has been particularly scrutinized for the agency's delayed and seemingly inadequate response. A former FBI agent, now a Fox News contributor, condemned the response as "unacceptable" and "mind-boggling," questioning the absence of Secret Service representatives at the initial press conference. (Source: foxnews) Cheatle eventually issued a statement expressing condolences and outlining the agency's actions during the incident.
• Security Failures and Congressional Scrutiny: The timeline of events revealed that Secret Service snipers spotted Crooks on the roof at 5:52 p.m. ET, but the first shots were not fired until 6:12 p.m. ET. This 20-minute window has raised questions about the effectiveness of the Secret Service's response protocols. Local police had alerted the Secret Service about their inability to station a cruiser at a critical building used by the shooter, which may have contributed to the security breach. (Source: wapo)
• Reinforced Security Measures: In response to the incident, Cheatle has affirmed that security measures for upcoming events, including the Republican National Convention, have been reinforced. She reassured the public that the agency is continuously adapting its security plans to ensure the safety of all involved. (Source: wapo)

 

Johnny 2.0 𝕏 (formerly Twitter) Account Updates:

Update 7/22: I still don't know for certain the extent of which my content or voice may be suppressed on the 𝕏 platform, I may never know. In the past 48 hours it seems like I'm getting more interactions but it's very hard to tell, view count still seems really low and anything I'm posting with #hashtags doesn't appear to be discoverable. I've reviewed post analytics and it appears that the 𝕏 "system" began limiting my view reach roughly 24 hours after posting the petition, albait I did post links to this petition perhaps a little too vigorously to garner attention to this cause. Ironically, about 10% of the signatures have come from 𝕏 through advertising run from change.org and the many promoters and supporters.

Update 7/21: It seems 𝕏 may have let me back in the game. I'm not entirely sure to what extent, but I’m seeing new followers and likes, so that's good news. Honestly, I get why they were cautious—no hard feelings there. Just glad to have my voice back.

Update 7/21: It seems 𝕏 may have let me back in the game. I'm not entirely sure to what extent, but I’m seeing new followers and likes, so that's good news. Honestly, I get why they were cautious—no hard feelings there. Just glad to have my voice back.

6 days ago, I launched the change.org/ResignCheatle petition (now with 470+ signatures) because of the glaring lack of accountability in our government—nobody ever gets fired for incompetence. When I tried to raise awareness on 𝕏, they claimed it violated their terms. I can’t detail everything that happened because I’ll never know for sure, but the timing suggests the worst part about free speech: it's never truly free. You pay someone for it, and if they don’t like what you say, the "algorithm" suppresses you.

Where do I go from here? I'm not sure. But I've set up an email for anyone who wants to reach out (image is to reduce bots) 🕵️‍♂️📧:

 

 

“Freedom is never more than one generation away from extinction.” — Ronald Reagan